This is treated as a whimsical absurdity, but it has a practical purpose that’s hardly obviated by the antiquity of the law.
I’m a sailor myself - I’d certainly want a warning that a bridge is lower than its charted height. The signal is clearly listed in the relevant Port of London notice to mariners [0]. Moreover, the signal also shows the height of the restriction (and in a neat, safe way - nudge the straw and you’ll know you’re too tall):
“Where the headroom is reduced this will be signalled in accordance with the Port of London Authority Thames Byelaw 36.1 namely:
“By Day – A bundle of straw large enough to be easily visible and displayed at the height of restricted headroom”
Reminds me of the fact that for 500 years everyone graduating with a BA from Oxford had to swear that they would never agree to the reconciliation of Henry Symeonis, despite no one having any idea who he was for most of that time.
That's the British system working as designed. If there's a law, no matter how ancient, the British should comply. If a law needs to be changed, that's the Parliament's job.
Even the British courts, in sharp contrast to many other places, "deliver the law as it is, and not as we wish it to be" -- see for example [0] or [1].
It seems like the original idea here would be to hang the hay at slightly below the height of the next bridge. That way it serves as a physical indication that your vessel's too tall.
But, in the picture it seems to be a) hung higher than the scaffolding and b) too close to it to actually give vessels a chance to turn around.
Like a bit of medieval cosplay sneaking into modern infrastructure work. A tiny reminder that history isn’t just in museums... it's literally hanging off our bridges.
Why a bail of straw? Reminds me of the forgotten reason why the onion was thrown into the varnish
"Primo Levi was working in a varnish factory. He was a chemist, and he was fascinated by the fact that the varnish recipe included a raw onion. What could it be for? No one knew; it was just part of the recipe. So he investigated, and eventually discovered that they had started throwing the onion in years ago to test the temperature of the varnish: if it was hot enough, the onion would fry."
This is a good reminder of how law is actualy created and works, and the what our legal foundations are, including the laws governing our rights and responsibilitys.
The real thing to understand is that all law is arbitrary, and whatever possible balance and measure is included in existing law, and discussions about change and reform are always predicated on some imagined "justice" to be had, but no matter how "just" or logical a law, someone still has to impliment and administer it, and there in lies the trap, so sticking to an ancient precident speaks volumes about the form that those laws will follow, and how to function inside that legal system.
Another recent hint, was an article, here?, about ancient water pumps scattered about greater London, digging there will likely reveal that those pumps have and represent a primary right to water that can not be removed......or ignored...much like the many scattered temples and shrines in Japan where fantastic acomodations in modern building and construction have been made in order to build around, but not over, these structures that have precidence.
we have a bridge near where i live that can use such a warning crash barrier. you'd think they'd install one after 65 bridge strikes in the last few years. their solution was to build a a stronger bridge, rofl.
i guess at this point it's a cherished tradition :D. there's probably a youtube mashup of all the phone-recorded strikes.
Ancient law requires a bale of straw to hang from Charing Cross rail bridge
(ianvisits.co.uk)132 points by alexbilbie 22 May 2025 | 136 comments
Comments
I’m a sailor myself - I’d certainly want a warning that a bridge is lower than its charted height. The signal is clearly listed in the relevant Port of London notice to mariners [0]. Moreover, the signal also shows the height of the restriction (and in a neat, safe way - nudge the straw and you’ll know you’re too tall):
“Where the headroom is reduced this will be signalled in accordance with the Port of London Authority Thames Byelaw 36.1 namely:
“By Day – A bundle of straw large enough to be easily visible and displayed at the height of restricted headroom”
0 - https://pla.co.uk/notices/M63-25
Even the British courts, in sharp contrast to many other places, "deliver the law as it is, and not as we wish it to be" -- see for example [0] or [1].
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashford_v_Thornton
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owens_v_Owens
But, in the picture it seems to be a) hung higher than the scaffolding and b) too close to it to actually give vessels a chance to turn around.
"Primo Levi was working in a varnish factory. He was a chemist, and he was fascinated by the fact that the varnish recipe included a raw onion. What could it be for? No one knew; it was just part of the recipe. So he investigated, and eventually discovered that they had started throwing the onion in years ago to test the temperature of the varnish: if it was hot enough, the onion would fry."
i guess at this point it's a cherished tradition :D. there's probably a youtube mashup of all the phone-recorded strikes.
https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2025/05/20/box-truck-hits...